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How to Swim Breaststroke

Learning how to swim breaststroke is an important skill to have. Not only will it give you the ability to swim confidently recreationally, but competitively too. Once you have mastered the art of swimming breaststroke you will be; deemed a competent swimmer, have the skill set to save yourself from deep water, swim a long distance in the sea or at your local swimming pool, sprint over a short distance when competing in a swim gala or time trial.

Breaststroke is said to be the most commonly used, yet poorly executed swimming style. It is arguably the most technical style hence the hardest to master of all the strokes. This is due to the involvement of strong kicking and perfect timing which requires endurance and strength. The objective is to be as efficient as possible though breast stroke as it is the slowest paced of the four official strokes of swimming.

So if you are currently struggling with getting breaststroke right, you have come to the right place. In this blog we are going to teach you how to perfect your Breaststroke by focusing on the five main challenges which will perfect your technique.

#1 Count your Leg Kicks:

It is essential to position your head and body correctly as it will allow you to swim efficiently and also protect your neck from overuse injuries. In breaststroke there is a tipping or rocking type motion required to synchronise with the timing of the stroke.

Achieving an excellent body position is essential in maximizing the forward motion of the stroke. The correct body posture has to be maintained to make a smooth and swift length.Ensure you face down, with the hips positioned upright and high, this will enable you to make the correct breaststroke leg kick.

The goal to achieve a great breaststroke body position is through the use of your core stomach muscles to ensure a stable floating technique. This will minimize drag and maximizing glide productivity through the water.

#2 Kick & Glide for Two seconds!

Once you have your body position right, it is time to practice those leg kicks. The kick plays a fundamental part in swimming and will make a fast, efficient swimmer stand out from the rest. A correct kick and glide is key to keeping the body balanced and stabilized in the water.

As you perfect your kick you can begin to focus on improving your efficiency. As you kick and glide, squeeze your legs muscles and hold this for a duration of 2 seconds before repeating. The purpose of this is to gain a strong rhythmn and achieve a steady, long pace glide whilst doing breaststroke.

#3 Two Breaststroke Leg Kicks with One Breath!

Now that you have got your posture and leg kicks practiced to perfection, it’s time you bring these together to swim with ease through the pool. Breathing while doing the breaststroke is easier than in other strokes as the head is in a neutral position above water whilst inhaling.

Tip - whilst holding the float with your head in the water, do 2 kicks whilst counting in your head (1,2), then lift your head to take your next breath. Repeat until you reach the other end of the pool.

#4 2 Breaststroke Leg Kicks with 1 Pull!

The most difficult part about swimming breaststroke well is coordinating the timing of your arm pull and your kick. You need to start with; two breaststroke leg kicks with one pull.

The key here is to use your palm and fingers to pull the water towards your chest whilst making sure you bring your elbows in, then stretch your arms forward to make the perfect breaststroke arm pull.

#5 1 Pull with 1 Breaststroke Leg Kick!

As you are getting more comfortable with your body posture, kicks and breathing technique, it’s time to challenge your skills further. Now we will reduce the number of kicks to one kick per pull. The key point here is to hold to breathe and kick to glide. You have to make sure to hold the glide to keep it nice and comfortable.

What we've shared with you today are 5 simple challenges that will help you or your child develop their swimming ability whilst learning, developing or mastering Breaststroke! This can be used to help compliment existing swimming lessons for your children or alternatively it can be used as an online resource for those who wish to teach themselves.